Bereaved father of son who drowned backs Tyne & Wear firefighters' water safety campaign

The father of a 22-year-old man, who drowned after falling into the River Wear following a night out in Washington, has backed a campaign to raise awareness of water safety.

Dave Irwin, whose son Ross died on 23 December 2016, has teamed up with his former colleagues at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service to highlight the issues around water safety.

He told ITV News Tyne Tees: "For myself and the family it’s utterly devastating heart aching, it’s grief that you never, ever get over. You know, you learn to live with the grief but you just never get over losing a child to drowning.

"So we’re trying to educate the public to say if you’re going on the drink, have a plan to get home. On average there’s 365 people who die every year through drowning. If you’re drinking near rivers, near canals, near lakes, then have a plan to get home with your friends and make sure you’re friends get home safely as well."

Some 40 per cent of people who accidentally drowned in the UK had no intention of entering the water, with slips, trips and falls being the main cause of these accidents, according to the Water Incident Database 2022-23.

Dave Irwin joined Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service as they held a demonstration at Newcastle's Quayside to raise awareness of water safety.

The event, held on Sunday 28 April, involved the deputy chief fire officer jumping into the River Tyne and floating on his back, as he waited for the fire crew to rescue him from the water.

DCFO Stewart Nicholson told ITV News: "Cold water shock can have a very quick and severe impact on the. Body, which involves rapid increase in breathing rate and panic onsetting, so our advice is to try and remain calm and whilst there’s a natural tendency to try and sort of curl up in the water, our advice is to open yourself up in the water and try and stay afloat."

The event was part of the National Fire Chiefs Council’s 'Be Water Aware' campaign.

Teaming up with the RNLI, the Royal Life Saving Society, Mind and the Tynemouth Volunteer Life brigade, safety advice and awareness of the risks of accidental drowning.

Head of Prevention & Education, Steve Thomas, said: "It’s especially important now to make sure that people don’t enter the water and if they do enter the water, it’s safe and if something goes wrong, they would know what to do and how to get themselves out.

"If you were to find someone in danger in the water, we would ask you to call 999, shout to them and ask them to float on their back, and where you can, throw something that floats to them, to help them get to shore."